The present invention relates to adjustable medical examination equipment and, more specifically, to an adjustable leg rest and kneeler assembly.
Adjustable footrests and kneelers for medical examination chairs and tables are well known in the art, but generally are elaborate in design or do not change from one position to another easily. The footrests usually require the steps of adding or removing one or more attachments to accomplish positional movement, which can be burdensome. Likewise, some designs that do not need the addition or removal of attachments do not allow for smooth movement between different positions.
For instance U.S. Pat. No. 4,958,816 discloses a leg and foot support assembly that is adjusts into different positions. However, the assembly has many interacting parts that do not always allow for the easiest transition from one position to another. The prior art guide rail used for extending the leg assembly has indents along the length of the guide rail, which are used to adjust and secure the assembly at different lengths. The indents provide a ratcheting action, which makes adjustment of the assembly tedious and also wears away the working parts over time, thereby diminishing the overall effectiveness of the assembly. Also, the guide area used to adjust the vertical and horizontal sections of the assembly relative to one another is designed with at least one sharp right angle, which does not provide for easy sliding movement of the relative sections of the assembly. Thus, an assembly is needed that will be easily arranged and adapted into different configurations in a smooth manner and process.